These Online Services Offer Birth Control Without a Doctor Visit
If you are on birth control pills and are tired of going to your doctor to get your prescription approved, or you want to get started but can’t find a doctor you trust, there is a better way. These apps and websites are always there for you.
Oral contraceptives are safe enough that groups such as the American Association of Family Physicians and the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists say they should be sold without a prescription . In fact, you can get contraception without a doctor’s prescription in California, Washington, and Oregon, but there is no guarantee that you will be able to find it at your nearest pharmacy. Of course, it’s still a good idea to find a supplier you trust and meet with them in person on a regular basis. But regular check-ups and check-ups, as well as your contraceptive prescription, don’t have to be tied, and this is where these services come in.
Before you sign up, be aware that online contraceptive prescription services are slightly different from regular telemedicine services like Teladoc . The process is a little more complicated than typical online shopping. Details depend on the service and the laws of your state, but expect you to fill out a questionnaire that asks for your basic health information, as well as a few unusual requests: you may need to provide a blood pressure reading ( one from a pharmacy kiosk is usually ok ) and upload your photo … In some states, you may need to video call an online doctor before they can write a prescription.
- Prjkt Ruby (Web) serves most of the states, as you will see in our diagram below, but only offers a few brands of pills. After a questionnaire or video visit, you just wait for your pills to arrive in the mail. However, they do not take insurance. Bonus: Prjkt Ruby also offers emergency contraception.
- Lemonaid (Web / iOS / Android) offers contraception and several other medicines, including medicines for acid reflux and erectile dysfunction. They only provide a prescription for $ 15 visit and then you pick up the pills at your local pharmacy using your insurance as usual.
- Nurx (Internet) fills out prescriptions in the mail and takes out insurance, making it the cheapest option on this list. (Remember, contraceptives are free with almost all insurance plans .) If you would like to take a look at the questionnaire, read about this woman ‘s experience – she found it very simple.
- Virtuwell (Web) offers online visits for $ 45, but they require insurance, so your amount may be less. Virtuwell sends the prescription to your local pharmacy.
- Planned Parenthood Care (Web / iOS / Android) offers hangouts and mails your medication.
- Planned Parenthood Direct (iOS / Android) charges a $ 15 visit fee and you get your prescription from your local pharmacy.
These services exclude doctor visits from your to-do list, but since not all of them include a pharmacy, you may still need to leave your home and talk to a pharmacist. Since pharmacist judges might be the reason you would rather do it all online, your problem is only half solved.
However, if you have a prescription, you can use an online pharmacy such as PillPack to receive your medicines by mail. Before you start, make sure your prescriber, pharmacy, and insurance work together so you can get your pills without ever seeing the unfriendly face.
Some of these services may be extra careful about who they are assigning to. For example, they can set a minimum age to use the service. Be sure to read the policy for the service you have chosen and allow additional time when filling out the questionnaire in case it turns out that the service does not work for you and you have to try another one.
State Guide To Where To Get A Prescription Online
Each state has its own laws about when and whether a health care provider can write a prescription without meeting you in person. As of December 2016, only Arkansas, Louisiana, and North Carolina do not allow online prescriptions at all. If you are in one of these states, you will need to see your doctor in person, but then you can get your prescription in the mail.
Since state laws are so different, and since suppliers who secretly write prescriptions must be licensed in the client’s state, companies must choose which states they want to work in and make sure they jump through all the appropriate hoops. … Check out our table for the services available in what condition:
If you live in California, you’re in luck – there are many prescription services operating there, including Pandia and the Pill Club in addition to those in our chart. In other states, you don’t have much choice, but 47 out of 50 have Prjkt Ruby at the very least. This means that for most of the country, the next contraceptive supplement is just a few clicks away.
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